National Football League

Titans fire head coach Mike Vrabel

Updated Jan. 9, 2024 1:33 p.m. ET

Mike Vrabel's time in Tennessee is coming to an end.

The Titans have fired Vrabel, ESPN first reported Tuesday. FOX Sports' Ben Arthur confirmed the report.

The team later announced Vrabel's firing.

"I appreciate Mike's contributions to the Tennessee Titans both on and off the field," Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement." Anyone who has ever met him knows how passionate and genuine he is, and he's been a strong supporter of the Nashville community. We wish Mike, Jen, and the Vrabel family nothing but the best in the future.

"As the NFL continues to innovate and evolve, I believe the teams best positioned for sustained success will be those who empower an aligned and collaborative team across all football functions. Last year, we began a shift in our approach to football leadership and made several changes to our personnel to advance that plan. As I continued to assess the state of our team, I arrived at the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff."

Vrabel accomplished a lot during his six seasons as the Titans' head coach, going 54-45 in his first head coaching job. However, after two straight AFC South titles in 2020 and 2021, Vrabel's Titans squad missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, going 6-11 in 2023.

As the Titans struggled for much of the season, rumors percolated that Vrabel could be in the midst of his final season in Nashville. They hired former 49ers executive Ran Carthon to be their general manager last offseason, adding a wrinkle into Vrabel's future with the team. Following their first season together, Vrabel, Carthon and the rest of Titans leadership were reportedly expected to meet.

With Vrabel now hitting the open market, he appears to be one of the top available coaching commodities. If Vrabel looks to take a head coaching job next season, the Patriots have been heavily linked as a potential suitor. Vrabel, who played with the Patriots for seven seasons, is believed to be Robert Kraft's "home-run choice" to replace Bill Belichick, The Boston Globe reported in November. Vrabel was also inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in October, even attending a Patriots game this season with Kraft during the Titans' bye week.

Though Vrabel will likely be in high demand, the Titans reportedly opted against a potential trade of his head coach rights because they believed it would take too long and be too complicated, according to The Athletic.

The Titans hired Vrabel in 2018, poaching the then-Texans defensive coordinator in hopes of taking the next step following their exit in the Divisional Round of the playoffs in 2017. Tennessee didn't make the postseason in 2018, but went 9-7. Vrabel got the Titans back into the postseason in 2019, upsetting the Patriots in Tom Brady's final game in New England as part of their run to reaching the AFC Championship Game.

Titans fire HC Mike Vrabel after six seasons | The Herd

The Titans continued their success with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback in 2020 and 2021, but didn't win a playoff game in either season. They were upset at home in their first playoff game in back-to-back seasons, losing to the Bengals in 2021 when they went 12-5 to finish with the AFC's No. 1 seed.

As Tannehill struggled and injuries mounted, the Titans took a dip over the last two seasons. They drafted quarterback Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but his play only brought a brief spark in 2023.